El Al Must Compensate Passenger Fully for Lodging During 'Swords of Iron' Operation

An Israeli district court has ruled that El Al must fully compensate a passenger for lodging expenses incurred during a 16-day delay in Poland due to "Operation Swords of Iron." The ruling by Judge Dror Arad-Elon of the Central District Court overturned a lower court's decision, stating that the initial ruling misinterpreted aviation service laws enacted during the war.

The case involved Uri Dahan, his wife, and their four children, who flew to Krakow on June 12, 2025, and were scheduled to return five days later. Due to the conflict with Iran and the closure of Israeli airspace, El Al only brought them back on a rescue flight in early July.

Dahan initially sued El Al for NIS 39,000, covering car rental, food, lodging, and emotional distress. El Al argued it was not liable for war-related consequences and should only cover two nights' lodging, with the rest to be claimed from the state. The small claims court awarded Dahan NIS 15,000, including NIS 4,500 for four nights of lodging.

Dahan appealed the lodging compensation, and Judge Arad-Elon agreed. He clarified that the aviation law, amended during the war, allows for compensation for necessary lodging when flights are canceled due to conflict. Crucially, the Transport Minister had not issued any regulations limiting the number of nights, meaning the standard provision for lodging reimbursement applies. The judge emphasized that while compensation is for "necessary" lodging within a "reasonable time" and "reasonable expense," El Al did not dispute the reasonableness of Dahan's lodging costs or the necessity of the 16-day stay, as confirmed by an El Al representative.

Consequently, El Al must pay Dahan the full claimed lodging expenses, minus the amount already awarded, totaling an additional NIS 14,000. This brings the total compensation for lodging to NIS 29,000. El Al was also ordered to pay NIS 1,000 in legal costs.